GRMC Board Approves Kidney Stone Laser, Cancer Equipment Upgrades for Hidalgo County

Gila Regional Medical Center's board of trustees approved a $90,000 thulium laser at its April 1 meeting, a purchase that urology staff say could stop the costly transfers that currently send acute kidney stone patients out of the region for definitive treatment.

Chief Nursing Officer Ron Green and urology staff told the board that a trial unit had already been used in roughly 10 procedures in recent months. Dr. Ronald Dalton projected steady demand going forward, estimating 25 to 35 procedures per year once the laser is in full clinical rotation. Trustee Gail Stamler raised utilization questions, and clinical staff responded that routine case volume would justify the purchase while reducing the need to transport patients by ground or air to facilities outside Hidalgo County. For Lordsburg residents who depend on GRMC's outreach clinic, keeping those cases local means fewer hours of travel and a care continuum that stays within the regional hospital system.

The board's action on the cancer center's linear accelerator carries a longer timeline but larger financial stakes. CEO Robert Whitaker told trustees that the existing machine will reach its end-of-life in May 2028 and that replacing it is a multi-year project. The board authorized the administration to begin contractor engagement and procurement planning, backed by $5.5 million in state funding plus $550,000 in capital outlay already allocated in the 2026 legislative budget. To bridge the gap, trustees approved a three-year maintenance agreement with Varian Medical at $8,500 annually to keep the current accelerator operational. Varian agreed to cancel the final year of that service contract once the replacement is installed and offered to include the first year of maintenance on the new machine at no charge.

The meeting also produced approval of a $150,000 service agreement with Daniel's Insurance for non-health insurance coverage and cleared repair and maintenance work on the hospital's fire doors.

With the thulium laser expected to deliver immediate clinical benefit and the accelerator replacement now formally in motion, GRMC is positioning itself to close two persistent gaps in specialty care access that rural patients in this corner of New Mexico have navigated for years.